Flushometer.



J. L. BECK.

FLUSHOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

INVENTOR, John L. Beck WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

. main water supply and bowl.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JQHN L. BECK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLUSHOMETER.

Application filed November 1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that 1, JOHN L. BECK, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and residing in Springfield. in the county of llampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImproveme'nts in Flusl'iometers, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in fiushometers ordevices forsupplying water to water-closet bowls, and it is designed to be directlyattached to the high pressure or supply service.

The invention is an improvement on my prior United States Letters PatentNo. 1,063,639, dated June 3, 1913, in which a casing is provided fordirect attachment to the In my prior patented device. the main valve isoperated by a' hand lever and is closed by twospiral springs which"force the main valve back again to its original position after beingcompressed by the operating handle. It also includes devices associatedwith a piston attached to the valve stem whereby the rate of travel orthe rate of closure of the main valve may be carefully regulated.

One of the many advantages of this form of flushing apparatus is that itdoes away with the usual tank construction and provides a device that isdirectly connected to the service pressure and bowl and also one that iscompact and easily repaired and examined.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view takenthrough the axis of the valve stem showing the main valve in closedposition, the rack and pinion construction for operating the valve-stem,and also the piston attached to the upper end of the valve-stem locatedin an oil receiving chamberand the devices associated with the pistonfor regulating the return movement of the main valve; Fig. 2 is asectional view of the piston receiving portion of my valve and taken atright angles to that shown in Fig. 1. This view clearly illustrates theoil passageways that lead from the upper portion of the oil receivingchamber to the needle-valve that is located in the upper end of thevalve-stem; Fig. 3 is a. modification of the construction shown in Fig.1 and illustrating a slightly different construction for varying theflow of oil from one side to the other of the piston that is attached tothe upper end of the valve Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

2, 1914. Serial No. 871,681.

stem; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line -l-1 of Fig.3 showing the location of the oil passageways in the piston and stem,the arrangement of the ball-valves in the valve-stem, and the spiralsprings for normally holding the balls seated.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the base portion ofthe valve-casing having the threaded portion 2 for attachment to themain service pipe.

3 is the threaded stem to which connection is made with the watenclosetbowl. Located on the base portion 1 is a casing 4 that is retained in anadjustable position by means of dowel-pins 5.

6 designates the main 'valve. 7 the valveseat, the valve having theusual packing seat 8 and the usual nut locks 9 and 10 for retaining thevalve 6 in place on the valvestem, indicated at 11. This stem extendsupward into the casing 4 and passes through a gland or packing box 12 toprevent'leakage, the gland proper being indicated at 13. Formed in theside of the valve-stem 11 is a rack 14 which is engaged by a pinion 15to which the operating-handle 16 is secured. Located above and adjacentthe rack 14 is a second packing gland 17 that has a threaded attachmentwith the chambered part of the casing 1, as indicated at 18. to preventleakage of oil from the piston-receivingchamber. to be referred tolater.

19 designates an annular space between the part 18 and the casing l andin this space is located a spiral compression-spring 20. the upper lowerend of the piston 21 which is attached to the upper end of the valvestem11 by means of the reduced portion 22 and nut 23. The piston 21 islocated in an oil-tight compartment. The upper end of the valve-stem isformed with an axial passageway 24 and a transversely located passageway25 that connects therewith. The passageway 24 is adapted to be opened orpartly closed by means of the adjustable needle-valve 26. the upper endof which is formed with an en larged threaded portion 27, whereby theposition of the lower end. of the needlevalve 26 may be moved so as tovary the effective area of the passageway 21. Also located. within a ofthe piston 21 are spherical ball-valves 28. which normally rest in thebottom part of the recess as indicated in Fig. 1', to close the ports29.

chambered or recessed part,

in Fig. 2.

' ply pressing against the bottom of 30 designates seats against whichthe balls 3 the piston 21 when the main-valve 6 is op erated orv moveddownward. The upper end of the casing 4 is closed by means of a cap 33that is attached thereto by means of the threaded connection, andlocated in the center' portion of this cap is a screw-plug 31 which isdesigned to be removed whenever the needle-valve 36 is to be adjustedand the upper end of the cap 33 is covered by means of a second cap 35which is threaded onto the cap 33, as-shown at 33.

Referring now to the operation of the construction just described and asshown in Fig. 1, another sectional view of the piston part of which isshown in Fig. 2: \Vhen the handle 16 is depressed or moved downwardly inthe direction of the arrow 36, the main valve 6 is opened, permittingwater to 'fiow through the opening indicated at 3 which leads to thebowl. At the same time, the oil, which fills the chamber 19 below thepiston and also partially fills the space 37 above the piston, lifts theball-valves 28 from their seats, permitting the oil to freely passthrough the openings 29 and 32 into the chamber 37 above the piston 21.During the downward movement of the handle 16, the piston 21, as will beclearly seen, is moved by the valve-stem 11, and, at the same time, thespring 20 is compressed as shown When the handle 26 is released, thewater-pressure from the source of supthe piston 6, together with therecoil action of the spring 20 serves to return the valve 6 back to itsseat 7, but this movement is retarded by the oil 'flowing from thechamber 37 above the piston 21 back to the chamber 19 below the pistonthrough the passageway 38 (see Fig. 2) into the annular groove 39 andfrom there into the passageway 24, past the lower end of theneedle-valve 26 into the transverse passageway 25 from which it escapesinto the chamber 19. It is, of course, understood that during thedownward movement of the piston 21 the ball valves 28 are raised toengage the spaced seats 30 to permit the oil to flow from the lower tothe upper side of the piston, and, during the return or upward movementof the piston 21, the ball-valves are seated in the position shown inFig. 1. In the downward movement, the oil can flow freelyv from thelower to the upper side of the piston, and during upward movement theoil is retarded by the needle-valve 26, from the chamber 37 to thesectional view shown in Fig. 2 taken at right angles to that shown inFig. 1. clearly indicates the passageways 38, 24, and 25 from Y thechamber 37 to the passageway 24, the plston 21 being shown in itslowermost position with the spiral spring 20 compressed.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4: in this view,the valvestem 11 is slightly modified at its upper end, having theflange 10 to receive the upper end of the compression spring 20'. Thetransverse passageway 41 is slightly longer than the passageway 25, andthe passageways 42 directly communicate with the passageway 41. Theball-valves 43 are shown seated and in their lowermost position, beingheld down to their seats by means of the coiled springs-H. the tensionof which are adjusted by means of the apertured plug 45 in which isformed the passageway 46. The needle-valve 26 in this modification issubstantiallv the same as that shown in Fig. 1. 47 designates apassageway that communicates with the passageway 48, the opposite endsof which lead into the circular groove valve-stem into the lower chamber1!) during the return movements of the piston during the closing of themain valve. In-this construction, when the valve-stem 11 is moveddownward, the ball-valves 43 are raised from their seats permitting theoil from the chamber 19 to flow freely through the passageways 41, 42,and 46 into the chamber 37 above the piston. During the returnmovements, the ball-valves 43 are again seated by means of the expansiveforce of the springs l4. The oil now flows through the passageways 5-1,49, and 49. past the needlevalve 26, passageways 24 and 41 to thechamber 19, the spring 20 meanwhile assuming the expanded position shownin Fig. 3. It will be noticed from Fig. .3 that the ballvalves 43 arelocated in the enlarged .upper end of the valve-stem, while in Figs. 1,2, and 3 the ball-valves are located in the piston 21.

What I claim is,

1. In a fiushometer, the combination with therethrough,

' through the casing having a the casing thereof provided with means forattaching the same to the service supply and bowl, respectively, ofamain'valve for openin and closing the source of supply, a va ve-stem, apiston secured to the upper end thereof, the casing having a chamberabove and below the piston to receive a liquid, and the piston havingpassageways balls to permit the liquid from one side'of the piston toflow freely passageways when the, main valve is opened and to' cut-offthe flow of liquid to the other side of the piston through thepassageways when the direction of movement of the piston is changed, thevalvestem having a passageway extending from one side of the piston tothe other, a needlevalve for varying the size of the passageway forcontrolling. the flow of the liquid to the lower side of the pistonduring the return movement of the main valve to its seat, means foradjusting the position of the needle-valve, means for manually movingthe main valve from its seat, and a compression spring located on oneside of the piston to assist the water pressure in closing the mainvalve, said spring being located within an annular chamber and directlyengaging the lower side of the piston.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with the casingthereof, means for directly attaching the casing to the water supply andthe bowl, respectively, a

main valve, a valve-stem, a rack and pinion to move the main valve fromits seat, the

closed liquid-receiving chamber, a piston therein and attached to theupper end of the valve-stem, the lower end of the chamber having anannular portion, a compression spring located in the annular portion andengaging the under side of the piston to normally retain the valve onits seat, said piston being formed with a chambered a ball-valve locatedin the chambered portion of the passageway and normally seated to closethe passageway when the main valve is closed'and the piston elevated butpermitting the ball-valve to freely rise from its seat by the force ofthe liquid ,below the ball when the piston is lowered to open the mainvalve, the stem having a passageway formed therein, and two transversepassageways that connect with the ends of the axial passageway, thepiston having a passageway that extends from the upper side of thepiston to one of the transverse passages, a needle-valve to vary thesize of the axial passageway for regulating the flow of the liquid fromthe upper to the lower side of the piston during the time of thereturn-movement of the main valve.

3. In a flushometer, a casing having chambered portions, a main valve inone of the chambered portions, a valve-stem, a piston passagewaytherethrough,

on the upper end of the valve-stem and located in another chamberedportion, a rack and pinion construction to move the main valve andpiston in unison, ceiving portion being sealed to receive a liquid, aspring engaging the lower side of the piston to assist in maintainingthe main valve closed, means to permit the liquid to freely flowthroughthe piston during the opening movements of the main valve, meansto retard the return movements of the main valve, said means comprisingcommunicating oil passages in the piston and valve-stem and which extendto the opposite sides of the piston and valves movable automatically inthe piston passages, a needle-valve in the valve-stem to vary the sizeof the passageway therein.

4. In a flushometer, the combination with the casing, a main valve, avalve-stem, a rack and cham ered portion in the casing, a pistonattached to the valve-stem and located within the closed chamberedportion, the upper end of the valve-stem being enlarged and havingrecesses formed therein, ball-valves in the recesses, springs to forcethe ball-valves to their seats, there the enlarged upper end of thevalve-stem which are controlled by the ball-valves, a recessed capsecured to the upper end of the piston-repjnion to operate the valve, aclosed.

bein assa ewa sthrou h' to communicate with passageways 1n the p1stonand said stem to permit oil to flow from the upper to the lower part ofthe chamber during the closing of the main valve, and, when theball-valves are in a closed position. said ball-valves being designed topermit the oil to freely flow from the lower to the upper side of thepiston when the main-valve is opened moved to its closed position. andmeans to vary the size of one of the passageways in the stem to vary therate of closingot the main valve.

5. In a fiushometer, a valved casing pro vided with a fluid containingchamber. a piston in the fluid containing chamber. a stem connecting thepiston and the valve in the valved casing.means to shift the stem toopen the valve and slide the piston. and means including communicatingpassages formed in the valve stem and the piston and also means movableautomatically in the piston to retard flow of liquid through the pistonpassages upon return movement of the valve and thereby retard returnmovement of the latter.

6. In a flushometer, a casing provided with a water chamber and a fluidcontaining chamber spaced from the water chamber. a valve in the waterchamber, a piston in the fluid chamber, a stem connecting the valve andthe piston whereby they move in unison,

and to close when the main valve is in closed position, means to shiftthe stem to open the valve and slide the piston, means to permit thefluid to freely flow through the piston during opening movement of thevalve, and means including communicating passages formed in the valvestem'and the piston and also means movable automatically in the pistonto retard flow of liquid through the piston passages upon returnmovement of the valve and thereby retard return movement of the latter.

7. In a flushometer, a casing provided with a water chamber and a fluidcontaining chamber spaced from the water chamber, a valve in the waterchamber, a piston in the fluid chamber, a stem connecting the valve andthe piston whereby they may move in unison, means to shift the stem toopen the valve and slide the piston, means to permit the flulid'tofreely flow through the piston during the opening movement of the valve,means to retard the return movement of the valve, includingconstantlycommunicating passages formed in the stem and the piston, and a needlevalve in one of said passages tovary the rate of flow of fluid throughthe piston and'valve stem to regulate the closing of said valve.

8. In a'flushometer, a casing provided with a water chamber and a fluidchamber, the

- Water chamber having a valve seat, a valve movable toward and awayfrom said seat, a stem having communication with the valve and extendinginto the fluid chamber, a piston secured to the valve stem and slidablein the fluid chamber, and means to shift the valve stem to move thevalve away from said seatand to slide the piston in the fluid chamber,the piston having valved passages through which the fluid in the fluidchamber freely'passes from one side of the piston to the other sidethereof upon shifting the valve stem to move the valve away from saidseat, the piston constantly communicating passages through which thefluid may pass slowly to retard movement of the valve stem and the valveto normal positions.

JOHN L. BECK. Witnesses: 1

HARRY W. BOWEN,

H. E. HARTWELL.

and valve stem having I

